Feroponera Bolton & Fisher

Schmidt, C. A. & Shattuck, S. O., 2014, The Higher Classification of the Ant Subfamily Ponerinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), with a Review of Ponerine Ecology and Behavior, Zootaxa 3817 (1), pp. 1-242 : 170

Feroponera Bolton & Fisher

Fig. 37

Feroponera Bolton & Fisher, 2008c: 26 (as genus in Ponerini ). Type-species: Feroponera ferox Bolton & Fisher, 2008c: 28 ; by monotypy.

Feroponera is a monotypic genus known only from Cameroon. It is apparently hypogeic and may be a termite specialist.

Diagnosis. Workers of Feroponera can be readily identified by their clypeal teeth, anteriorly-located and closely approximated frontal lobes, eyeless condition, clubbed antennae, and spiniform traction setae on the mesotibiae and meso-/metabasitarsi. Feroponera is most likely to be confused with Centromyrmex , Boloponera , and Loboponera . Centromyrmex has a uniquely located metapleural gland orifice, and while Loboponera does have a pair of clypeal teeth, both Boloponera and Loboponera lack traction setae on the legs, among other differences. Similar paired clypeal teeth also occur in Dinoponera and Streblognathus , but these genera are otherwise very different from Feroponera and are unlikely to be confused with it.

Synoptic description. Worker. Small (TL 3.5–3.8 mm) ants with the standard characters of Ponerini . Mandibles subtriangular, with five teeth and a basal groove. Anterior margin of clypeus with a pair of short projecting teeth. Frontal lobes closely approximated, of moderate size, and barely projecting past the anterior clypeal margin. Antennae terminating in a four-segmented club. Eyes absent. Pronotum anteriorly with moderately sharp lateral margins. Metanotal groove absent. Propodeum moderately narrowed dorsally. Propodeal spiracles ovoid. Mesotibiae and meso-/metabasitarsi armed with stout traction setae. Metatibial spur formula (1s, 1p). Petiole nodiform, becoming wider posteriorly. Helcium projects from near midheight on the anterior surface of A3. Gaster with a distinct girdling constriction between A3 and A4. Head and body with moderate generally rugulose sculpturing, sparse pilosity, and moderately dense pubescence. Color dark orange. See Bolton & Fisher (2008c) for a more detailed description of worker structure, including a description of some additional autapomorphies of the genus.

Queen. Unknown.

Male. Unknown.

Larva. Not described.

Geographic distribution. Feroponera is known only from the type series collected in Cameroon ( Bolton & Fisher, 2008c) .

Ecology and behavior. Nothing is known about the habits of Feroponera , though based on its morphological structure it is undoubtedly hypogeic. The type series was collected from an abandoned termitary, suggesting that they may be termite specialists like Centromyrmex , though this has not actually been observed (Déjean et al., 1996; Bolton & Fisher, 2008c).

Phylogenetic and taxonomic considerations. Bolton & Fisher (2008c) described the monotypic genus Feroponera based on a single series of workers of a new species, F. ferox . They noted several autapomorphies to justify their new genus: a pale patch of cuticle and unique dentition of the mandibles, a pair of teeth on the anterior clypeal margin, clubbed antennae, and an apparently glandular surface on the metatibiae. They noted several similarities between Feroponera , Centromyrmex and Promyopias , namely the lack of eyes in the workers, the presence of traction setae on the legs, and the relatively high helcium. These shared characters may represent synapomorphies for these genera (as suggested by Bolton & Fisher (2008c)), they could be convergently evolved, or they could represent plesiomorphies within the Plectroctena group. However, Promyopias has recently been found to belong to the Odontomachus group rather than the Plectroctena group (P.S. Ward, pers. comm.). We think it likely that Feroponera is either sister to Centromyrmex or to the remainder of the Plectroctena genus group. See the previous discussion of generic relationships within the Plectroctena group for more on the possible phylogenetic position of Feroponera .

Figures

FIGURE 37. Worker caste of Feroponera ferox: lateral and dorsal view of body and full-face view of head (holotype, CASENT0900369, Will Ericson and www.antweb.org); world distribution of Feroponera.